6 'Cbc Conservative *
THEN AND NOW--70 AND ' 00.
Democracy under Jackson's leadership
in 1828 represented 56 per cent of the
popular vote in the United States ;
twenty-four years later , or in 1852 , 5 per
cent had been lost and Pierce received
but 51 per cent ; twenty-four years still
later , in 1870 , Tildeu and Heudricks not
only recovered from the effects of the
disastrous defeat of ' 72 , but practically
united the party , carrying states in the
North , South , East and West , regained
the prestige lost during the war , wiped
out sectionalism and delivered to their
party the 51 per cent of Pierce intact.
And yet another twenty years and
Bryan in his chase for the "silver dollar
lar and not the honors of office , " has
left us for a legacy , a party divided iuto
no loss than four factious the populistic
branch representing 8 per cent , the
national democracy 1 per cent and the
free silver democratic branch 39 per
cent. This is a clear loss of 12 per cent
to the democracy between Tilden and
Hendricks and if the " "
Bryan , or "pops"
of ' 92 can be classed as democrats in ' 9(5 (
it is a loss of 4 per cent , and it is this
loss and the reasons therefor that should
have the prayerful consideration of
every true democrat in 1900. Tildeu
and Hendriclw were supported by
48 5-100 per cent of the American citi
zens of voting age in 1876 , and with a
voting population of 19,798,410 in 1896
this same per cent would have given us
8,528,215 votes. As the unholy alliance
of free silverites , populists and demo
crats ( ? ) only received 6,502,925 , it was
a clear loss of 2,020,290 votes to the
democracy as compared to the vote of
' 76. Why ? The states carried by the
democracy represented 51 per cent of
the voting population in 1876 and but 29
per cent in 1896. Why ? 84 23-100 per
cent of the voters of the United States
in 1876 voted in that year and but
70 84-100 per cent voted in 1896. Why ?
Mr. Bryan eloquently denounces
sectional issues and "The words of his
month are smoother than butter but
war was in his heart ; his words were
softer than oil , yet were they drawn
swords. " While his words may de
nounce , ho is to be judged by the
results the work that is accomplished ,
and when Connecticut was exchanged
for Colorado , Delaware for Wyoming ,
Indiana for Kansas , Maryland for Ne
vada , New Jersey for Washington ,
West Virginia for Montana , New York
for Nebraska , Idaho and Utah , and
Kentucky for South Dakota , he
"swaped" every northern and eastern
state that had been fought for and won
by Tilden and Hendricks and arrayed
the South and West against the North
and East. The result of his eloquence
was the overthrow of a national and the
resurrection of a sectional party.
With all the vehemence of a barn
storming tragedian Mr. Bryan condemns
imperialism , as he would define it , and
yet he is the head and loader of a cabal
whose chief object is the abridgment of
American citizenship. He bewails ignor
ance with the pathos of a Rachel , but
appeals to the passions , not reason , for
support. He is an enthusiastic exponent
of thrift , yet courts and receives his
chief support from the thriftless , the
illiterate and the sectional partisan.
This is all clearly shown by the records
of the ten states , which are of the twelve
that gave him his highest per capita
vote. In Mississippi , where but 22 per
cent of the citizens voted in 1896 , where
40 per cent of the population are
illiterate , where but 89 cents per capita
is expended for educational purposes ,
where there is no evidence of thrift in
the savings bank deposits , where each
congressman represented but 9,492 votes
Bryan received 91 per cent of the vote
cast while Tildeu and Hendricks re
ceived 72 per cent. In South Carolina
76 per cent of the voters did not vote in
' 96 ; 45 per cent are illiterate ; 55 cents is
expended for educational purposes ; 1
per cent of the population are depositors
in savings banks. Each congressman
of ' 98 represented but 4,539 voters ; and
Bryan received 85 per cent of the vote
as against 50 per cent for Tilden and
Heudricks. 48 per cent of the citizens
of Nevada voted in ' 96 ; 18 per cent are
illiterate ; $4.86 per capita is expended
for education ; and each congressman
represents but 9,796 votes ; Mr. Bryan
received 81 per cent of the vote cast. In
Idaho 58 per cent of the citizens voted
in ' 96 ; 5 per cent are illiterate ; $2.88 is
expended on education ; each congress
man represents 28,689 voters ; Bryan re
ceived 78 per cent of the vote. 65 per
cent of the citizens of Louisiana did not
vote in ' 96 ; 46 per cent are illiterate ; 79
cents spent for education ; three-fourths
of l.per cent are depositors in savings
banks , and a congressman represents
16,520 voters ; Bryan received 76 per
cent of the vote and Tilden and Hen
dricks 52 per cent. In Montana 53 per
cent voted in ' 96 ; 5 per cent are illiterate ;
$3.45 per capita is expended for educa
tion ; 8 per cent are savings bank
depositors and each congressman repre
sents 49,268 voters ; Bryan received 74
per cent of the vote cast. Montana ,
Idaho and Nevada were not states in
1876. 47 per cent of the citizens of
Arkansas voted in ' 96 ; 27 per cent are
illiterate ; 99 cents per capita is expended
for education ; a congressman represents
25,282 voters and Mr. Bryan received 67
per cent of the vote cast to Tilden and
Heudricks 60 per cent. In Florida ,
where 72 per cent did not vote , where
28 per cent are illiterate , where $1.48
is used for educational purposes , where
but one-quarter of 1 per cent of the
population have money in savings banks
and a congressman represents 20,164
voters , Bryan received 71 per cent of
the vote cast and Tildeu and Hendricks
but 50 per cent. In Texas ( which you
will note is in poor company ) 78 per
cent of the citizens voted ; 20 per cent
are illiterate and $1.84 is expended for
education ; one-tenth of 1 per cent have
money in the savings banks and each
congressman represents 40,453 voters ;
Bryan received 68 per cent of the vote
and Tilden and Hendricks 70 per cent.
In Alamama 57 per cent of the citizens
voted ; 41 per cent are illiterate ; 89 cents
per capita is used for education ; one-
tenth of 1 per cent of the population
have money in the savings banks , and
each congressman represents 20,590
voters ; Bryan received 67 per cent and
Tildeu and Heudricks 60 per cent of the
vote. In every one of the other 88
states Mr. Bryan received a less per
cent of the popular vote than was given
him in the above ten.
An illiterate man is not always a bad ,
much less an undesirable citizen ; neither
is the thriftless man nor even the bitter
partisan , but the broad-minded , intel
lectual citizen who would appeal to all
of these traits and arouse the passions
for either party or personal gains , not
only degrades himself but fails to elevate
his unfortunate neighbor. In appealing
to education and reason Mr. Bryan
failed as signally as he was successful
among the opposite classes and a com
parison of the different characteristics
is a revelation. In Vermont where 61
per cent of the voting population vote ,
where but 7 per cent are illiterate ,
where $2.74 per capita is used for edu
cation , where 81 per cent are depositors
in savings banks and each congressman
represents 88,478 voters or'seventeen
hundred and four more voters than the
seven congressmen of South Carolina in
1898 ; in such a state Mr. Bryan received
only 17 per cent and Tilden and
Hendricks 81 per cent of the vote. New
Hampshire , where 70 per cent vote ,
where but 7 per cent are illiterate , where
$2.01 is devoted to education , where 88
per cent of the population are money-
savers and each congressman represents
40,646 voters ; Mr. Bryan only had the
support of 26 per cent of the vote as
against 48 per cent for Tilden and
Hendricks. In Massachusetts 52 per
cent voted , 6 per cent are illiterate ,
$4.21 is devoted to schools , 51 per cent
are money-savers and each congressman
represents 28,725 voters ; Mr. Bryan re
ceived 26 per cent of the vote cost and
Tilden and Hendricks 42 per cent. 47
per cent of the males of voting age in
Rhode Island voted in ' 96 ; 10 per cent
of the population are illiterate , $4.88 is
used in the schools , 84 per cent have
money saved up , each congressman
represents 26,705 voters and Bryan re
ceived 26 per cent of the vote to 40 per
cent for Tilden and Hendricks. 58 per
cent vote in Maine ; 5 per cent are
illiterate , $2.48 is devoted to schools , 22
per cent are money-savers , each con
gressman represents 30,520 voters ;
Bryan received 29 per cent and Tildon
and Hendricks 48 per cent of the vote.
In Connecticut 70 per cent of the voters
vote , 5 per cent are illiterate , $3.52 is
